Change of season

Well, the boys' school holidays are drawing to an end and it's not with anticipation that I look forward to school runs and rushing about.

The past week or so has felt a little odd, and honestly, I've felt a little 'flat'.  We've done a spot of entertaining, which I always enjoy, but these occasions have been 'goodbye' meals and they've made me feel a bit heavy-hearted. 

My sister and her family have moved to pastures new and our friends have returned to Kuwait for a few more months until hopefully they come home permanently......I know neither of these things are reason to feel glum, but coupled with a feeling of.....well.... I'm not quite sure.....I'm feeling a bit unsettled.

My knitting and crochet have lacked 'buzz' and I'm suffering from need for a change of scenery....oh, dear....I do sound like a whinger!

So what am I doing to kick myself into gear? 

Trying to get some long-awaited jobs ticked off the list.....look.... my bunting from last year's swap finally sewn up and labelled with the places it came from. Very cheery it is too, around our bed.

Starting new projects.....mainly a new sweater, which being for me, I've indulged in some stripes (more of that on my YOP post on Sunday).

Doing a little sewing.

This was a house-warming gift for my sister, which I really enjoyed doing, but does remind me to invest in one of those free-style foot thingies.......working with the foot up is not the way!

Planning for the next few months.

I'm sure six weeks of next to no routine is one of the factors of my bleeauuuggghh-temperament.  I'm not looking forward to the return to school, but I think it will be the positive 'shove' I need.

So I'm going to make like a student on my first day back at school, with newly sharpened pencils, starting the first page in a new book....

I hate to write-off the summer, but it seems to me that I am starting a new season, and I'm going to jump in feet first!  Care to join me?

Red, white and blue

So how did your Jubilee celebrations go? We had a full-on adrenaline packed weekend with something for everybody! 

There has been sun, cake, tents, parties, rain, BBQs, sewing, sandwiches, wind, baking, bright colours, puddings, red, flowers, gazebos, white, zoos, camping, blue, music........you mention it, we did it!

As ordered, the sun (mainly) shone on Middle's seventh birthday tea-party and the kids were able to play outdoors.  Bunting was hanging in the apple tree as I dreamt of, and I also managed to squeeze in making a picnic blanket, with a jubilee theme.

When I was dreaming big the other day, I wished for weed-free borders which unfortunately did not materialise, but on Ruth's suggestion I did rock the 'wild-flower meadow' look!

In among the jungle of weeds, the flowers were doing their own personal 'nod' to the celebrations.

And cake?  Well if you recall, I imagined a three teired cake in the celebratory colours.....and.......

.........not bad eh?  It tasted scrummy and made our lives more colourful in ways that you couldn't imagine ;-)

So all, in all, I do think we've experienced the jubilee on many levels and middle's birthday coinciding with it all, only made it all the more exciting!

A stitch in time......

As I mentioned last week, I've been doing a fair bit of sewing of late....in fact, I think I have started a bit of a love affair with it all, as I have not only done some pretty things, but I have finally got around to some nagging jobs too.......trousers now fit little bottoms (alas.....not mine....... it could never be classed as little) and joy of joys, those massive sofa cushions that I saved about three years ago, meaning to give  a new lease of life, have had just that.....I am a little smug as I was told I was probably not the best person for the job, but some checked material later ( I sew along the lines...super easy!) and the boys have some floor cushions.

Anyway, along with that, I also finished the birthday present cushion.....

So here is how it went.....

I did buy one of those washable-offable pens, which the bigger boys used, but it wasn't as good as it said on the tin, so littlest ended up just using a pencil.

Much sewing later........

A time piece I think, designed by the fair hands of my three boys and sewn by me.

I didn't end up using all those lovely bits and bobs from The Crafty Fish, as the cushion kind of spoke for itself....but there will always be other projects.........

As we head in to the weekend, hope you all have sunny cheerful days where ever you are.x



This week I have mostly been.......

.......sewing.......

I am making a cushion for my sister-in-law, a little bit of machine sewing and some free hand sewing from the children's own designs.

Mattress stitching my jumper seams together........slowly, slowly.......only to find.......it doesn't fit......too short!  Other ravelers had commented that the pattern came out too short, so I lengthened it, but obviously not enough.  I am however, practising damage control by making another couple of panels to hopefully invisibly (hhhmmmm, I know, who am I trying to kid!) stitch onto the bottom........watch this space.....

I have had two exciting packages........

Last week I was lucky enough to win  a giveaway on Rosie Hearts.  Isn't that just gorgeous.  Gina, is incredibly talented and has sooooo many lovely designs in her  'Not on the highstreet' shop, check out her Brit inspired things all set for this year's Olympics.  The kindle cover is so carefully and creatively made....aren't I lucky!

I also ordered myself some bits and bobs from That Crafty Fish's etsy shops.....have a look at my haul!

All ready to put the finishing touches on the cushion.....how inspiring.........

So.......I am definitely pushing my luck this time of night, sitting at the computer and not making the supper....... so must away.....on the subject of food, a number of people mentioned that they would like the welsh cake recipe.....I'm sure my mother would have an age old traditional recipe, but I must admit to being a die hard Nigella fan and used her recipe from 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' but found a similar one online here.

Hope you are all having a cheery and sunny week.....x

Bunting and learning

No one could ever accuse me of being unenthusiastic..........well .............unless mentioned in the same sentence as housework.

So when I saw squigglyrainbow's excellent bunting swap, I jumped in........both feet.

I have learnt a few lessons since then.

1. I really can't sew.
2. Always check out where the blog writer lives, before signing up.
3. Postage to Australia is not cheap.
4. I really can't sew.

The idea is you sign up to make a chosen number of pieces of bunting, sending them off to the individual addresses and then wait to receive the same number back, each individual one being able to either be strung together to make a bespoke bunting for your own house or used to decorate something else........................this is a great idea..................

My bunting contains a little piece of Wales.

The cut out hearts allow the light to shine through.

I love sewing, but shabby-chic was probably invented for me and my dubious sewing skills.  The recipients of my pieces of bunting should realise that although it may appear that I threw the things together and then told my kids to sew them up, I actually spent hours cutting, ironing and sewing.

I love bunting, but most of all I did enjoy making my pieces and like to think of a little bit of Wales winging its way to other lands.  I wanted to add something extra in my envelopes but ended up being very limited with weight to try and keep the postage costs down, so please know that my envelopes also carry love and blessings from my little corner of the world.



The vicar's chicken

Today has been a day for tying up loose ends (and sewing them in.)  This is the vicar's chicken, promised at the school Christmas fayre last year, when I sold out.  It was made that very weekend, but remained unstuffed and lifeless until today.  The vicar wasn't in when I called, so I left it on her doorstop......my hubbie thought it was all rather sinister!

While I was in the mood for sewing, I figured I would put together another gift I made a couple of months ago.  This is for a poppy loving friend of my mother's.  Again, another thing started and then put to one side, I am nothing but consistent!!

I took a leaf out of Lucy at Attic24's book, and used a thrifted jumper to make the back of the cushion, as Lucy explains to do here.

Of course, doing these two bits of work could make one rather smug, but my smugness was short lived because on uncovering all these half-finished jobs, I also discovered 'the boring blanket' which lies mockingly in my work bag.  The thing is, I do like it, but it is going to take me ages to do and there are things I would rather be doing.  The first time I worked out how many hexagons I needed, I worked it out to be about 800, after sitting down to settle my nerves I calculated it again, and now figure it is more like 450.  I have done 80-ish, but it is not the granny stripe blanket of my dreams, and therefore it remains in my bag.........